Inheritance
by aquaticderivative
Summary: AU When Riku was a boy, he met a man from the outside world, and the words that were spoken over him altered his destiny forever. The time has come for Riku to fulfill his destiny and follow in this man's footsteps. Footsteps that are wrought with darkness and loss.
1. Those Who Walk in Darkness

_A/N: This story has been knocking around in my head for years now, and I just really wanted to write a fic that deals with Riku and Terra's potential mentor/student relationship. This is a side project for me so updates will be very sporadic._

_This fic begins with the first game and branches out from there. It's heavily AU, as Riku will be much more of a mage than in canon, and the entire plot of the first game will be heavily altered. The "Ansem" of this story is not as he should be, and from the summary and tags you probably can guess who he really is. All alterations will be explained in time. _

_Thank you to my betas __Ahxis and VCAyuki._

1

Riku was standing alone in the small cave commonly known as the Secret Place by the children of his island chain. Its walls were covered in white scribbles, and the smell of salt and mold filled the air. In front of him was a wooden door that no one could ever figure out. It had no handle, and no matter how much someone pushed it, it would never budge.

Dreams of this door opening had filled his nights lately, but they were not the pleasant ones of adventure and joy from his childhood. They were filled with a bone deep terror that drove him awake, sweating and gasping and _crying _like some stupid little kid. Determined to purge himself of those ridiculous dreams, he made a point of visiting the door every day. His heart would race and his skin would crawl each time he approached it but nothing ever happened.

Scowling at the offending slab of wood, Riku began his slow trek forward. His heart rate quickened, and he had to measure his breathing. The door glowed for a moment before a golden keyhole appeared in the center of it, and he almost toppled over in surprise. He scrambled the rest of the way to the door and hovered in front of it.

The light of the keyhole was warm and pleasant. Riku reached towards it with a shaking hand, and a cold metallic weight filled his grasp. An oversized silver key had appeared out of nowhere, and it fit in his hand as if it had been made to do so. He glanced between it and the door before a smirk pulled at his lips.

The fear that had been churning his stomach faded away in the face of a comforting familiarity. A voice he could barely hear was whispering in his ear, and Riku felt that it spoke promises of adventure. This was it. He could open this door and step through and leave the mundane behind.

He raised the key before him, and its tip lit up with a brilliant light. The light stretched out and reached the keyhole, causing the whole door to glow brightly. Riku heard a distinct click.

The feeling of familiarity drained away from him, only to be replaced by a fear that was as bad as in his dreams. He broke out in a cold sweat as the air in the room became heavy. The key disappeared from his hand with a brilliant flash of light, and dark tendrils began crawling out from the door. He watched in horror as they formed themselves into a small black creature with soulless yellow eyes. The creature stared right at him and jumped forward with its claws barred. Right before it could strike, Riku turned away and bolted from the cave.

Something had gone terribly wrong. As he was running, he thought he could hear that strange voice from earlier softly whisper to him, telling him that _he_ was the thing that had gone wrong, but he shoved it away.

He skidded to a halt on the shore when he spotted a storm looming above him. Wind caused the trees to whip around violently and sand to be kicked up into the air. His hair flew into his face when he looked upwards and saw a vortex forming in the sky.

It was then that Riku knew that his world was falling apart. The darkness was coming. It was coming for _him_.

He stomped down on his rising panic and shook his head to compose himself. He wasn't some whiny kid, and he wasn't going to freak out. He felt certain that opening the door was only way to get off the islands. He would let the darkness take him if he had to. Anything to be free.

The wind began blowing so hard that he had trouble keeping upright. More creatures rose from the sand, and they slowly surrounded him as he stumbled in the gale force wind. He had nowhere left to run as darkness spread out under his feet like ink. The creatures it touched melted and seamlessly joined the black pool. As more creatures joined the pool, Riku began to sink. He tried to struggle, to reach out, but the darkness had a firm grip on him. He couldn't even manage to scream as it dragged him into its freezing cold depths. The last thing he saw before the darkness took him was Sora rushing down the beach.

1

Riku awoke to the sound of rushing water and an icy cold. He shivered and did his best to sit up. His head was spinning, and it took him a while to get his bearings. He managed to crack open his eyes to see himself surrounded by a waterfall that didn't flow downwards, but up. He was sitting on a small stone platform, and when he looked over the edge he saw that it was astonishingly floating in midair. There was, without a doubt, magic at work here; the likes of which he had only read about. A brilliant smile spread across his face. He was in another world. Opening the door had worked!

His smile disappeared as he realized he was alone. Sora wasn't with him, and neither was anyone else from his home world. Riku reassured himself that they all must have been transported elsewhere, but a niggling thought in the back of his mind told him that wasn't the case. He shoved it down because he didn't have time for regrets. He was finally on an actual adventure, so what did it matter if he was alone?

He stood up on shaky legs and got a better look at his surroundings. In the midst of the upside-down waterfall where many floating platforms adorned with ruined buildings. The stone ruins were covered in intricate blue designs that radiated magic, but not a single sign of life was to be found in the floating maze. It would be just his luck to finally leave and end up somewhere completely deserted.

He hopped off of the platform he was on and landed on the largest of the others. The design on the ground was mysterious, and he saw that the places where he stepped would light up with a faint light for a few moments. He walked around the square, amused by the trick until a shiver running down his spine forced him stop. The hair rose on the back of his neck, and he whipped around. No one was there.

…_You...I know you…_

It was the same voice that had spoken to him at the island, and it was much louder and clearer than before.

"Who's there?" Riku whirled around again, but the square was still deserted.

A shrill cackle filled the air followed by a burst of darkness that a woman primly strode out of. A long black robe billowed behind her as she walked and black horns rose from her head. A staff with a glowing green orb at its tip rested in her right hand. She stopped a little away from Riku and stared down at him imperiously.

"Who are you, child, and what brings you to my domain?" Her voice was cultured and arrogant.

Riku could tell the woman was bad news, but she was the only other person he had seen. For all he knew she might be the only one around for miles.

"I'm Riku. My world was destroyed by darkness, and I ended up here." He wasn't usually so frank, but he didn't know what lie he could tell that would be believable.

The woman's eyes flashed with something undetectable. "I see. Then you have no home to return to. If you would like, I would be happy to allow you to stay in my castle." Despite the illusion that these words were kind, Riku had a feeling the woman had an ulterior motive.

He reluctantly agreed since the platform he was on was a dead end, and he had no idea how to navigate this strange world. He would only stick around the witch for as long he needed to.

"What's your name, anyway?" he asked.

A small smirk appeared on the woman's face. "I am Maleficent."

She walked over to a metal diamond-shaped cage resting on a platform, and with a small tap of her staff, the cage opened and a dark purple orb emerged. It began glowing brilliantly, and another platform came towards them that appeared to be running on a magical relay.

In a mutual silence, the two of them climbed onto the platform. The moment Riku stepped fully onto it a barrier rose up around them, scorching the back of his shoe. He gaped at the barrier and the platform. He wanted to ask how they worked but decided against it since he didn't want to look like an idiot.

As the platform slowly went over an enormous chasm, Riku saw one of the most breathtaking scenes he'd ever witnessed. The sunlight caught the clouds and waterfalls in a tantalizing way, lighting them up with red and gold. Swarms of black birds flitted in and out of the clouds, and he could distantly hear their calls. The foreboding yet magnificent castle they approached sent a small trill of excitement down his spine.

He kept feeling like this was only a dream, and that he'd wake up back in his room at the island and find that he was still trapped.

The platform stopped right by the entrance of the castle, and Riku and Maleficent stepped off. The witch strode purposefully towards the entrance of the castle, not bothering to spare Riku a glance. Riku was embarrassed that he had to actually walk fast to keep up with the tall woman's confident stride. He felt less like a fifteen year old and more like an eight year old.

With a flippant knock of her staff, the huge doors of the castle glowed before they began to slowly open, revealing a grand foyer that had two staircases leading up to another set of richly decorated doors. The stairs were wrapped around a fountain that sported the same heart-like symbol Riku had seen proudly displayed on the castle's highest tower.

Maleficent had walked farther into the foyer, but Riku was hesitant to go further before he got some more information.

"You're not going to let me stick around for free."

The witch stopped and turned to face him halfway. He saw a small smirk appear on her red painted lips. "It appears you are not the usual imbecile that often stumbles into my court. If you wish to stay within these walls, I would require you to do me a service. It's but a simple one of finding a group of seven princesses that have been lost. I can inform you further after we have sat down. Speaking of business in foyer is very rude, after all." She gave Riku a reproachful look.

When faced with her piercing stare Riku almost apologized, and had to stop himself at the last minute. Instead he simply nodded his head in agreement. He could have sworn he saw a satisfied look flash across the woman's face before she elegantly made her way up the stairs. He followed her until they came to a huge dining room. Within was a wooden table that could easily have sat a hundred people.

Maleficent tapped her staff against the ground once, and in a flash of sickly green magic, a full set of silver dining ware appeared at the head of the table and the spot to its right. Some trays with steaming food also appeared, and Riku's mouth began to water at the smell that was wafting over to where he stood.

"It is anathema to me to use my magic for such frivolous endeavors, but the lack of any competent servants requires me to make sacrifices," Maleficent stated coolly as she made her way to the seat at the head of the table.

Before Riku could stop himself, he blurted out, "That didn't seem frivolous to me at all."

Maleficent had sat down and was now giving him a searching look. "Then you know nothing of what magic is truly capable of."

"No, I don't know anything about it," Riku admitted reluctantly as he awkwardly sat down at the witch's right.

"But you wish to know."

There was a pause in their conversation as the witch served herself and then motioned for Riku to do the same. After the two of them had begun eating, (Riku had waited for her to take the first bite, just in case) Maleficent spoke again, "I would be willing to reveal some of the vast secrets of magic to you if you would do another favor for me. It is yet simpler than the first. There is a certain room in this castle that is the only room I have been unable to access. If you could manage to get inside of it, I would be willing to instruct you."

"Why don't you tell me about your first request before I start making promises to do something else," Riku replied blandly, though his thoughts quickly went to the silver key. He had a feeling that it would open any door if it could open the door in the Secret Place.

Maleficent let out a small chuckle, which had a raspy tone to it that made it seem like she didn't laugh often. "Yes, that would be the wisest course of action." Much to Riku's chagrin, the witch seemed to be mocking him. "I wish to open a door, a door that leads to infinite power and majesty. But I cannot do so unless I have the aid of seven princesses, who are spread across the worlds. I do not know exactly who they are, though I have many well-founded speculations. I need someone who is young and agile to traverse the worlds and help me in my search for the seven."

"And that person would be me," Riku drawled.

"If you were to agree to aid me."

"I don't have much of a choice," Riku said with some bitterness.

Maleficent gave him a very pointed look. "One always has a choice."

Riku looked away from her gaze and continued to eat. After a few moments he spoke up, "I'll help you find these princesses. Just try not to get me involved in whatever domination of all worlds plot you have going on."

A small smirk appeared on her face again. "Most would ask for me to grant them power and prestige, yet you wish only to be left alone?"

"I just want to have some adventures before I die and trying to find a group of elusive princesses sounds like an adventure to me."

Maleficent chuckled again. "Very well. If you still have an interest in learning from me, I will show you the door after our meal."

Riku nodded to show his interest, and they finished up their meal. Maleficent then led him away from the dining room and through many winding corridors. Eventually, she stopped before an ordinary looking wooden door. Riku was about to make a sarcastic comment about how good of a witch she was if she couldn't open a simple door, when Maleficent stepped forward and swung it open. Inside was a spacious, but bare, bedroom.

"This will be your quarters," she announced with an imperious tone.

Riku stepped inside of the room. It had a medium sized bed with privacy curtains hanging from its canopy. An ornate bed stand rested to its left, and against the opposite wall was a small dresser, a desk, and bookshelf. All three were completely empty when Riku inspected them. There was also another door that led to a small bathroom.

When Riku returned to the hall, the witch was waiting for him. "Is it to your liking?" she asked with a tone that plainly said that even if he didn't like the room, he wouldn't be getting another.

"It'll do," was Riku's own cool reply, even though he was a little giddy with the fact that the room was almost half the size of his house back on the islands.

Maleficent turned away gracefully and began making her way down the hall. Riku followed, expecting her to lead him to the mysterious door. After the two of them walked even farther into the maze-like corridors, they came to the door. It was almost as tall as the front entryway had been, though it was half as wide. The door gave off the feeling of being forbidden, and Riku mentally admitted that it looked pretty formidable.

"This door has not responded to any of the spells I have experimented with. It will also not break under any kind of force, no matter how great. From the floor plans of the castle, it appears that it should be a study adjoined to a bedroom. Obviously, it holds within some great secret. I wish you luck in unlocking it." The witch turned away from him and glided down the corridor.

Riku was now alone in front of the gold trimmed, wooden door. The runes carved into it were making his skin tingle, and the magic radiating from it was downright terrifying. He was starting to doubt that his silver key could open it, but then he remembered the power he'd felt when he'd held the key in his hand, and his doubts were alleviated. He focused on his desire to open the door, but no key appeared in his outstretched hand. Instead a bright light flashed and quickly fizzled out. Riku tried to summon the key again and again, but the light only grew dimmer each time.

"Why isn't it working?!"

…_It has abandoned you…the darkness chased it away…I_ _chased it away…_

Riku's anger was quickly replaced by fear. The voice from earlier had returned, and it was loud enough that it was as if the words were being whispered right in his ear. He had hoped to try and ignore the voice, because he knew what hearing voices meant. He knew that talking back was probably the worst possible response, but the voice had answered his question. It knew where the key was and why he couldn't summon it.

"Why would the darkness make it leave me?" Riku may have been terrified, but he wanted answers. "Why are _you_ keeping it from me?"

A quiet laugh filled the silence.

…_It is a key of light…it does not serve those who walk in darkness…_

Riku was genuinely confused. Yes, he had used the darkness to leave the islands, but he'd used the key to access it. On top of that, he wasn't 'walking in darkness' whatever that even meant.

"I don't 'walk in darkness.' Besides, I used the key with no problem before. Stop whatever you're doing to keep me from summoning it!" Riku felt his voice fill with a shaky arrogance.

…_I must apologize…there is nothing I can do to break the bond that we have…_

"Bond? What are you talking about?" Riku was starting to panic, and he took a step back in trepidation. Not that it would do any good; the voice was coming from everywhere and nowhere at once.

…_Your mind is clouded with fear…I will converse with you at another time…_

"Wait!" Riku demanded, despite the relief he felt at the thought of the voice leaving him alone.

A soft laugh rang out.

…_I will break the seals on the door…the room within is now yours to explore…_

The faint shimmer of dark magic that covered the door flashed a bright purple before dissipating

…_I look forward to our next encounter.._.

As the presence that had been hovering around him left, Riku felt his fear fading. The moment it departed he fell to his knees and found himself shaking. He hadn't realized until now how taxing the encounter had been, and he knew that whatever that thing was, it was powerful. It had unraveled the intricate seals placed on the door like they were nothing, and it was also stopping him from summoning the key.

A churning feeling filled his stomach, and Riku knew that he should get far away from this room, the castle, even the world itself, but he couldn't leave. He didn't have the key, and he couldn't summon it. He was at both the mercy of a vile witch and a disembodied voice that claimed to have a 'bond' with him.

Riku unsteadily got to his feet. For the first time since he had opened the door, he let himself feel regret. He knew he had gotten involved in something he couldn't easily rid himself of, and it was terrifying. He had no desire to find what lay behind the door, or to tell Maleficent that the way was open. Instead he began to stumble his way back to the room the witch had showed him to earlier. He constantly looked over his shoulder on the way back, but the voice did not speak again. When he finally got to the room, he slammed and bolted the door.

He stood in the dim light of the cold room, and felt more alone and lost then he ever had in his life. He missed Sora and Kairi. He missed his mother. Why the hell had he thought that using the darkness to leave was a good idea?

Another part of his mind replied that he had been about to go insane with boredom on the island. He left to find excitement, and that was sure as hell what he got. He didn't need Sora or Kairi, and he didn't need his _mother_.

He wasn't a baby, and he could take care of himself.

Riku did his best to gather his nerves and began to get ready for bed. He did his best to ignore how his hands shook as he removed his clothes. He was exhausted, and soon after curling into the soft blankets of his new bed, he was deep in the realm of dreams.


	2. Black Flames

A/N: This chapter is a bit dull, but I promise the plot will begin to pick up next chapter! Thank you for the reviews, favorites, and follows everyone!

Also a huge thank you to my betas, Whiteflame13 and VCAyuki.

2

Riku awoke to sound of a low pitched caw_. _He sat up, his head spinning from being pulled from sleep so suddenly. He opened his eyes and pulled back the privacy curtain that was around the bed. A raven was perched on his bedside table and it cawed again when he set his eyes upon it.

He growled at the bird in annoyance. He had absolutely no idea how it got into his room. Before he could go through with his desire to grab the bird and break its annoying little neck, the creature leaped into the air. It circled the confined space of his room and cawed many times.

A knock sounded at his door. "Wait a minute!" he called out over the bird's racket. He groaned and dragged himself from his bed.

Riku pulled on his clothes and stumbled over to the door. It opened to reveal Maleficent, dressed very much as she had been the day before.

"It seems you've met the requirements I placed upon whether or not I would instruct you in the ways of magic. Though a barrier still prevents anyone from entering the room, the door's seals have been broken," the witch stated without preamble. She was giving Riku a strange look that was a mixture between annoyance and intrigue. "I applaud you on using my own words against me."

Riku felt it was too early to deal with the intensity of having a conversation with his witch landlord. He honestly had no idea that there was still a barrier baring entry from the room, and he definitely hadn't been trying to use Maleficent's own words against her. Regardless, he allowed an easy smirk to appear on his mouth. "I did what you asked. When is my first lesson?"

Maleficent tilted her chin upwards and looked down at Riku imperiously, "Once you look presentable."

Riku did his best to hide his embarrassment at the fact that he looked ridiculous with his bed hair and disheveled clothing.

The raven flew out from Riku's room, landing elegantly on Maleficent's shoulder. It cawedpointedly at the witch, and she raised an eyebrow in reply.

"It seems my pet has taken a liking to you. Expect more wakeup calls in the future." Maleficent turned around abruptly and began to make her way down the hallway. She stopped when she was a couple feet away. "I will meet you in the library."

She didn't bother giving any instructions on how to get to the library, and before Riku could think to speak up, she had disappeared.

He sighed and turned back to his room. He went into the bathroom and looked at his reflection in the mirror. His skin was as pale as ever. He never could figure out how he managed to be so white after spending so much time in the sun. He had bags under his eyes and looked a little sick.

Riku_ was_ tired. He had slept poorly the night before, plagued by strange dreams and moments when he would lie half-awake in bed, consumed by an inexplicable terror.

He washed his face and ran his hands through his hair to try and tidy it. He would have to get a hairbrush since the room was empty. He didn't have a change of clothes or even underwear. He hated the idea of asking Maleficent for help trying to get the items he needed, but he had no one else to turn to. The thought left a bitter taste in the back of his mouth.

Maybe he wasn't as independent as he thought. It would have been nice to have Sora or Kairi with him right now. He needed someone to share the situation with and help him figure out what exactly he should be doing.

_No!_

He stomped down on those thoughts. Why did he keep acting like he _needed_ his friends? He didn't. They were fun to be around, and he cared about them, but he was the oldest and the most reliable. He took care of himself. _They_ werethe one who needed _him. _

Riku stomped out of the bathroom as soon as he finished making himself presentable. When he stepped into the hall, he was greeted by another caw. He resisted the urge to flinch. Maleficent's raven was perched on a statue's head near the end of the hall. It motioned its head to the left a few times before jumping off its perch and flying down the hall.

Riku could see the bird was trying to guide him, and took off at a slight jog to keep up.

After a couple minutes of rushing through the castle corridors, he found himself back in the main foyer. The bird had stopped and was perched on a railing that was across from a set of huge wooden doors. They had mythical creatures carved on them, and Riku took a couple moments to look them over. He was a little mesmerized by the wooden interpretations of creatures he had only ever read about.

The raven cawed impatiently, and Riku gave it a glare before he pushed on the right door's handle. It swung open easily enough.

The first thing he registered was books. Shelves and shelves of books. There were huge tomes with rich red spines that had gold trim and sea green ones with blue accents. Thin, plain brown ones and short and fat yellow ones. Riku had never seen so many books in his life.

Maleficent's cultured voice wafted down to him, "Are you going to stand in the doorway for the rest of the morning?"

Riku looked up to where he had heard Maleficent's voice come from. There was a grand staircase at the opposite end of the library leading up to a second floor balcony. He made his way up the stairs, trying not to gape. At the top of the stairs there was a gold engraved wooden table that had beautiful red cushioned chairs to match it. Maleficent lounged in one, looking very much like a dark queen sitting on her throne.

"Today I shall teach you, but tomorrow you shall venture out and fetch a princess for me." Her tone was wry, though Riku saw a shine to her eyes that betrayed her excitement at the thought of her plans succeeding.

Riku walked to the table and sat down in the chair across from the witch. His feet barely reached the floor, and he felt ridiculous.

"How am I going to get off world? I won't be able to use the method I did to get here," Riku couldn't help but ask. Bitterness rose up in him at the thought that he couldn't summon the key any more.

"An ally of mine has a safe transport. He will arrive tomorrow to bring you to one of the princesses' worlds. In time, you will be able to use dark corridors to travel, but for now the Captain's ship will do."

"Dark corridors? Like what you used when I first arrived?"

"Yes. They are a dangerous type of travel for those inexperienced in the ways of dark magic."

Riku felt a tremor run down his spine when he remembered the voice claiming he "walked in darkness." It sounded like he wasn't too far away from using it to travel, and he didn't really know if he was all right with that.

"Today I will teach you the most basic of fire magic. I know your interests lie in more domestic forms of magic, but I will begin with offensive magic for practicality's sake. Princesses often have fully trained body guards watching over them, after all," Maleficent continued.

Riku did want to know the finer points of magic, but he understood that incorporating it in his swordsmanship would be more practical. Besides, being able to summon flames at will sounded pretty badass.

"Before you can even attempt to summon flame magic, you must learn the basic threads of magic that combine into a spell. This is why we find ourselves in the library."

There was a stack of books in the center of the table. Two were a crimson red and had black writing on their covers and spines. One read _Basic Spell Mechanics_, and the other _Essence of the Flame_. The final book was a rich emerald green which had no writing on the outside. Riku picked it up and found that it was blank and meant to be a journal.

"You do not have to read all of this, simply as much as you need to understand." The witch stood up from the table and began to make her way to the stairs. "I will be in the chapel if you need assistance. My pet will show you the way when the time comes." Maleficent glided down the stairs without waiting for a response.

Riku felt a little disappointed. He probably could have found the books on his own, and Maleficent wasn't really teaching him anything. Well, at least the hag had saved him some time, and he had something to write in that was his own.

He dragged the two books towards him and began to flip through them. He usually was too embarrassed to admit how studious he could be. Back on the islands Riku did run around and spar with his friends during the day, but at night he would curl up with a book and read about anything and everything. None of his friends were very scholarly, and he would never live it down if any of them saw how excited he was at being able to read about _actual magic_.

Finding a chapter that looked promising in _Basic Spell Mechanics_, he began to read. He found the book easy to get through, despite the verbose language. He skipped around a bit, but the basics of magic were starting to come together. There was a quill and inkwell on the table that he used to take notes and draw out diagrams. He'd never written with a quill before, so his notes were both sloppy and covered in ink spots. What he wouldn't give for a pen.

He set down the quill and pushed away from the table with a sigh. He had been working steadily for a while, and now he wanted to test out what he'd learned. In order for him to grasp elemental magic, he'd have to summon corporal magical energy. Once he got it at a high enough concentration, he could begin to work on shaping it into an element. Fire was the easiest to summon, which was why Maleficent had him starting with it. Being able to summon magical energy would also mean that he could start practicing levitation and other simple techniques.

As he stepped out from the library, he found himself bouncing on the balls of his feet in excitement. He stopped short as his mouth fell open at the scene outside of the library. He had walked out of the second floor doors and was greeted by a circular balcony that overlooked the main foyer. There was a complex design on the balcony's railing and imposing gargoyle statues spread about. In the center of the ceiling was a gorgeous round platform that glowed. The blue and green color scheme was calming, and a contradiction to the gargoyles and cruel images shown in the railing.

Riku shut his mouth and walked further out onto the balcony. He closed his eyes and focused. Now wasn't the time to be admiring the architecture. He had read that magic was drawn from two places. From the energy that lies within every living being and the energy that pulses in every world. He had to draw on the perfect balance of both. If he drew on too much of his own energy, he could cause himself to pass out, or even kill himself if he used it all. If he drew too much of the outside energy, he would lose control of the spell.

His first few attempts were failures as he drew too much of the world's energy. Blue energy (outlined by a distinct black that he pointedly ignored) would gather but violently dissipate as he lost control of it. When he tried to draw on more of his own energy, he got dizzy. He had to keep taking breaks, lest he collapse.

Frustration pulsed through Riku. Fighting had always been easy for him, and he had reached the esteemed position of being the best out of his friends without much hassle. But magic was obviously not something he was a natural at. He understood what he had to do mentally, but the disconnection between mind and body was not something he'd encountered before.

He couldn't help but feel that if he had that key, magic would be easier. It was a ridiculous idea, since the keys only ability seemed to be opening impossible doors.

Opening his eyes with an exhausted sigh, Riku made his way back into the library. He had used up too much of his energy, and now he felt light headed. Part of him wanted to go speak to Maleficent to see if she could give him pointers, but he didn't think she actually would help him. He wasn't an idiot. He knew that the witch was just using him, but he didn't have much choice but to follow along. He would simply gain as much power as he could from her before he went his own way.

He put the two books into a neat stack on the table and picked up his notebook. He would go back to his room, and try to figure fire magic out. When he stepped out of the first floor of the library he was greeted by another annoying caw_. _It reminded him that he still didn't have any other clothes or anything to take care of himself with. He'd have to go crawling to Maleficent after all.

With another caw, the raven flew over to the main entryway, and Riku guessed that it was showing him the way to the chapel. He had thoughts of stained glass windows and holy men chanting, and he couldn't help but feel that the witch would be entirely out of place. He followed the raven through winding balconies and rode on platforms similar to the one Maleficent and he had used to get to the castle yesterday. He found to his satisfaction that if he reached his hand towards the magical device that controlled a relay and focused on summoning his magic, he was able to get it to work. Maybe he wasn't completely hopeless with magic.

The raven finally perched in front of a pair of wooden doors that had small stained glass windows in them. Riku pushed one of the massive doors open and was surprised to find the chapel different than he was expecting. Instead of the intimidating place of holiness and boring lectures that he had grown to expect, the chapel had a very dark appearance to it. The huge heart emblem was present where he would have expected a cross to hang, and there was a strange feeling of dread and excitement in the air. It reminded him of the feeling that he got whenever he dealt with the darkness.

Maleficent was standing at the front of chapel, looking like an unholy matron watching over her sanctuary. It was an incredibly disconcerting sight.

"I do hope you didn't find the reading too difficult." Her cultured voice was full of condescension. She turned to face him with a dramatic sweep of her cloak, the green orb on her staff glowing faintly.

"It was simple," Riku bragged. "I came here to ask you about where I can get some clothes. There aren't any supermarkets around, so I'm at a loss."

Maleficent made a soft noise of amusement. She tapped her staff once on the ground, and Riku _felt _a shift in the energy around him. He ignored the urge to grin at the fact that he could actually sense the spell.

"I have stocked your room with everything you could possibly need. I assume the clothing will be to your liking." The way she pointedly eyed him let him know what she thought of his clothes. "I apologize for not stocking the room earlier. It seemed to have slipped my mind."

The way she looked down her nose at Riku made his blood boil. She had deliberately not stocked it. She was playing mind games with him. He was about ready to start telling her what he thought of her bullshit when she began speaking again.

"I wish to see your progress with fire magic, since you claim it was _so simple._" A small smirk played on her lips.

Riku was angry. He didn't care if his attempt at summoning magical energy would end in failure. He put his right hand in front of him and _focused_. In a flash of purple light, a ball of pitch black fire sat burning ice cold in the palm of his hand. He immediately ended the spell, his heart hammering in fear. That time he had felt himself drawing energy from a third, unknown source, and this source had filled in the energy gap that he kept running into earlier. Not to mention that he had summoned _black flames _whenhe had barely been able to keep up a steady stream of energy before.

A soft chuckle accompanied by a slow clap filled the chapel. Riku noticed that his breathing was heavy, and he felt as if he had run a marathon.

"You are just full of surprises," Maleficent drawled. "Not only are you not a complete imbecile, but you have a natural affinity for the darkness," she said the word darkness as if she spoke of something sacred.

"Most would find summoning the dark elements extremely difficult, yet you completely skipped over the base element." She stepped closer to him, looking down at him with a strange expression on her face. "Most curious indeed."

Before Riku could get his mouth working again, Maleficent turned away from him with a dramatic sweep. She promptly left the chapel, her annoying pet following after her.

Riku's mind was spinning. He couldn't have possibly improved so much, yet the ice cold feeling in his right hand was a testament to his abilities. He remembered how he felt only moments before and tried again, but the energy broke apart just as it had outside the library. He was wobbling on his feet, but he wanted to figure out why it had worked in that exact moment.

…_It was…your anger…your will…to dominate… _

The voice that had opened the study for him was whispering at him again. It wasn't as loud as it had been before. Riku's reply was to attempt to summon flames again. He brought back his resentment at how Maleficent treated him and focused on it. The ball of flame appeared this time, though it was smaller. He lost control of the spell as he fell forward onto his knees, stabbing pain filling his heart.

…_You must not…rely…on anger…it will damage…your heart…you must…learn to control it…without emotion…_

"Could have told me earlier," Riku gasped out.

The voice was quiet. Riku sat on his knees for a long time as he caught his breath. Eventually his heart stopped aching, and he was able to stand up.

"How the hell are you supposed to use it without emotion?" Riku demanded to the empty space. A part of his mind was telling him to forget using the darkness altogether, but he felt _something _when he used it. There was still plenty of fear, but a twisted glee and even a small bit of pleasure had accompanied his second attempt at summoning dark flames. His interest was piqued.

It took a long time until the voice answered.

…_You must…be like the flames…do not…burn hot…but cold…a cold…detached fury…is the secret…that witch…uses this technique…as well…_

It was the first time the voice had even acknowledged Maleficent. "So the hag would just let me damage my heart?"

…_If you…became a Heartless…you would…be easier…to control…_

"A Heartless?"

…_You do not…know…I do not…have energy…to explain…go to…my study…books…help…_

The voice faded so much that Riku could barely understand it, but the image of the room that had been unlocked yesterday appeared in his mind when the voice mentioned 'my study.'

"Just who are you? An old apprentice of the hag?" Riku got a tinge of worry about his personal safety.

The voice did not reply. If he wanted answers, he'd have to go to the study.

At first he thought that he didn't know how to get back to the main foyer of the castle, much less the study, but when he began to walk, he _remembered_ the way. He shivered, as he realized these thoughts were not his own. He knew this was dangerous, but he wanted answers. The voice had been more helpful and kinder to him than Maleficent.

Riku effortlessly made his way to the study. When he arrived, the door was wide open. He could see an expensive floor rug, a stone fireplace, and a black leather chair inside. He stopped right before he entered the study. He remembered Maleficent saying that there was a barrier keeping anyone from going inside. He reached out his right hand, and to his amazement, his fingers passed through the barrier. He walked through it easily.

He couldn't help but smile wryly. "You just didn't want that hag to get in," he commented as he looked around.

Inside there was a desk and many shelves packed with books. He still couldn't believe how many books were in this castle. There was another two doors leading to different rooms. One was covered with the same runes that had sealed the study, while the unsealed door opened up to a storage closet filled with ragged clothes and other strange devices that he couldn't identify.

Riku wandered over to the bookshelves. It took only a moment for his eyes to settle on a book entitled _Decent into Madness_. He reached for it, knowing that it was the book he was looking for just as he had known the way to the study. He sat down on the leather chair in front of the fireplace and began reading, shoving his exhaustion to the back of his mind.


End file.
